Review of Eddy Weetaltuk\u27s From the Tundra to the Trenches

Hansen, Vivian M

English

Scholars Commons

The Goose
Volume 16 | No. 1 Article 16
8-11-2017
From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy
Weetaltuk
Vivian M. Hansen
University of Calgary
Part of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Indigenous
Studies Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, Nature and Society Relations
Commons, Place and Environment Commons, and the Race and Ethnicity Commons
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This article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Goose by an
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Cet article vous est accessible gratuitement et en libre accès grâce à Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Le texte a été approuvé pour faire partie intégrante
de la revue The Goose par un rédacteur autorisé de Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Pour de plus amples informations, contactez
scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation / Citation recommandée
Hansen, Vivian M.. "From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk." The Goose, vol. 16 , no. 1 , article 16, 2017,
https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol16/iss1/16.
Intersections of Identity 
 
From the Tundra to the Trenches by EDDY 
WEETALTUK 
University of Manitoba Press, 2016 $24.95 
 
Reviewed by VIVIAN HANSEN 
 
Eddy Weetaltuk, Eskimo number E9-422, 
alias Eddy Vital, Princess Patricia’s Light 
Infantry number SC 17515, introduces and 
describes his various identities in this book.  
From the Tundra to the Trenches is Eddy 
Weetaltuk’s lifetime achievement of 
publishing his memoirs.  As an Inuit and a 
Canadian veteran of the Korean War, 
Weetaltuk tells a story of his early years in 
the Arctic with his family and his military 
service.  Weetaltuk’s identities weave 
intersections of meaning between 
Indigenous and white ways of life. 
Eddy submitted his memoirs to The 
National Museum of Man in Ottawa in 
1975.  In 2002, it resurfaced at the Canadian 
Museum of Civilization (xi).  After nearly 
thirty years of languishing at the museum 
and waiting for the offer to publish, Eddy’s 
memoirs found a home with the University 
of Manitoba Press’ First Voices, First Texts 
series.  This book is fourth in a collection of 
Indigenous literature. 
A forward and appendix are written 
by Thibeault Martin, who assisted Eddy with 
the narrative organization of the book, and 
an Introduction by Isabelle St-Amand.  
These narratives are important to the 
understanding of Indigenous literature in 
the Canadian canon.  They are also essential 
background reading to the explanation of 
why and how systemic racism effectively 
halted the publication of Eddy’s work for so 
long.  The book also contains twenty-five 
colour photos of Eddy’s drawings about 
Inuit life and the Korean War. 
Eddy was “a man in pursuit of his 
dreams” (Martin xxiii), but as an Eskimo, 
was not permitted by the Canadian 
government to travel out of the Arctic.  
Eddy adopted a false identity (Eddy Vital) to 
free himself from institutional racism and to 
travel south.  The book is divided into 
narrative arrangements that are 
chronological, such as “Weetaltuk, or the 
Times of Innocence,” which tells of Eddy’s 
early years in the Arctic with his parents 
and collective hunting groups. “At the 
Boarding School” tells of his relationship 
with the Catholic residential school and its 
influential priests.  The largest sections are 
devoted to Eddy’s war experiences and his 
return to the north. 
Eddy emerged from the Arctic in the 
company of white friends, which he 
acknowledges was a factor in his safe 
transition: “That day, the constable who 
was doing the checking on Northerners did 
not ask for my ID because I was travelling in 
good company of young white guys” (50).   
Eddy contemplated joining the army, but 
felt that he wouldn’t be accepted.  A friend 
remarked on his education level:  
 
—Eddy, up to what grade did 
you go in school?  
When I told him I completed 
grade eight, he was totally amazed:  
—Grade eight.  So, you can 
write! 
Brian did not really know my 
story and was not aware of the good 
education I had received from the 
Oblates at Fort George.  He was 
suddenly very curious: 
—And how many languages 
do you speak? 
I said four, and Brian 
continued: 
1
Hansen: From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk
Published by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017
—You know, Eddy, with that 
education of yours, you could get 
into the army any time you want. 
—That’s ridiculous.  They 
would not take me because they 
don’t accept Eskimos.  You know 
that. 
—You don’t have to tell 
them you’re an Eskimo. Just tell 
them you are mixed-blood.  With 
your new name everybody believes 
you. (56-57) 
 
Thus began Eddy’s new life in the Army, and 
his ability to traverse the white man’s 
world.  Eddy writes consistently that he 
received not only a good education from 
the Oblates, but also support for his future.  
This background, coupled with his life in the 
north, was to provide him with ample 
preparation for the army.  He recalls 
injustice, comparing the Inuit with the 
soldier:  
 
I was very uneasy to realize that we 
were here to protect and serve but 
that some of us were doing things 
because they were in a foreign 
country and could get away with 
what they would not even think of 
doing in their own country.  That’s 
when I remembered my dad who 
had been sent to prison for plucking 
a raven and I thought there was no 
justice in this world. (67) 
 
When meeting a Mamasan (Madam) in 
Korea, Eddy was offered an eight-year-old 
girl: 
 
I was so shocked I ran away.  Now 
that I recall that episode, I feel so 
sorry for her.  War is a disgrace, a 
shame.  God must be so sad to see 
his poor little children abused like 
that. (101) 
 
Eddy’s reconnaissance ability was 
exemplary; noted in this exchange with his 
captain: 
 
—Well, Vital.  Tell me what 
you saw? 
—While marching I saw 
leaves moving over there.  I found it 
suspicious because there is no wind 
today.  I pointed at the bushes and 
said: Look! It is here.  I bet there is 
something hiding in the bushes. (71)   
 
Eddy drew on his Inuit knowledge to help 
his comrades: 
 
The smallest thing demanded so 
much of their energy; they even had 
a lot of trouble tying on their 
snowshoes.  That’s why, although 
my technique was not in the Army 
manual, I showed them, with the 
instructor’s permission, the Inuit 
way to slip on snowshoes without 
having to tie them in the cold. (129) 
 
Eddy Weetaltuk’s memoirs are essential 
reading for the dissemination of Indigenous 
narratives.  Thibeault Martin asserts:  
 
Eddy Weetaltuk wanted to send a 
message to Inuit youth while at the 
same time exorcising his past and, 
above all—and this might surprise 
the reader—he wanted to write a 
bestseller.  It was not only because 
he was expecting remuneration, but 
because he wanted as many people 
as possible to read the story of an 
Inuk, written by an Inuk.  In this way, 
he wanted to say to the entire world 
2
The Goose, Vol. 16, No. 1 [2017], Art. 16
https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol16/iss1/16
that a “man of the North,” an 
Aboriginal person, could find as 
brilliant a destiny as any other 
Canadian. (XIII)   
 
The framing narratives by Martin and St-
Amand are intriguing as back story to 
Eddy’s core memoir.  These academic 
narratives provide and actualize ally work, 
but they also utilize and participate in 
colonial hegemony.  I question whether 
Eddy Weetaltuk’s memoirs would have 
been published if not championed by 
powerful and insightful white voices.  These 
champions predate Martin and St-Amand as 
Eddy sought to see his memoirs published.  
Can we ever truly perceive Indigenous 
literature as literary canon without the 
explanatory framework of colonial 
ideology?   
Even so, Martin and St-Amand have 
done a commendable job of working 
through this conundrum.  Eddy Weetaltuk’s 
memoir of identity intersectionality 
succeeds in challenging official colonial 
narratives.  His life’s work defies systemic 
racist erasure of Indigenous writing.  The 
memoir thus contributes to the 
understanding of Indigenous history 
marginalized within colonialism.  Moreover, 
such a memoir contributes to the ultimate 
goal of reconciliation with Indigenous 
people — a uniquely Canadian mandate. 
 
VIVIAN HANSEN is a Calgary poet.  Her 
book, A Tincture of Sunlight (Frontenac 
House), recalls the Canadian Indigenous and 
Métis soldiers of the South Alberta 
Regiment in the second world war. 
3
Hansen: From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk
Published by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017


From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk

Wilfrid Laurier University

The GooseVolume 16 | No. 1 Article 168-11-2017From the Tundra to the Trenches by EddyWeetaltukVivian M. HansenUniversity of CalgaryPart of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, IndigenousStudies Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, Nature and Society RelationsCommons, Place and Environment Commons, and the Race and Ethnicity CommonsFollow this and additional works at / Suivez-nous ainsi que d’autres travaux et œuvres:https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegooseThis article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Goose by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Cet article vous est accessible gratuitement et en libre accès grâce à Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Le texte a été approuvé pour faire partie intégrantede la revue The Goose par un rédacteur autorisé de Scholars Commons @ Laurier. Pour de plus amples informations, contactezscholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended Citation / Citation recommandéeHansen, Vivian M.. "From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk." The Goose, vol. 16 , no. 1 , article 16, 2017,https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol16/iss1/16.Intersections of Identity  From the Tundra to the Trenches by EDDY WEETALTUK University of Manitoba Press, 2016 $24.95  Reviewed by VIVIAN HANSEN  Eddy Weetaltuk, Eskimo number E9-422, alias Eddy Vital, Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry number SC 17515, introduces and describes his various identities in this book.  From the Tundra to the Trenches is Eddy Weetaltuk’s lifetime achievement of publishing his memoirs.  As an Inuit and a Canadian veteran of the Korean War, Weetaltuk tells a story of his early years in the Arctic with his family and his military service.  Weetaltuk’s identities weave intersections of meaning between Indigenous and white ways of life. Eddy submitted his memoirs to The National Museum of Man in Ottawa in 1975.  In 2002, it resurfaced at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (xi).  After nearly thirty years of languishing at the museum and waiting for the offer to publish, Eddy’s memoirs found a home with the University of Manitoba Press’ First Voices, First Texts series.  This book is fourth in a collection of Indigenous literature. A forward and appendix are written by Thibeault Martin, who assisted Eddy with the narrative organization of the book, and an Introduction by Isabelle St-Amand.  These narratives are important to the understanding of Indigenous literature in the Canadian canon.  They are also essential background reading to the explanation of why and how systemic racism effectively halted the publication of Eddy’s work for so long.  The book also contains twenty-five colour photos of Eddy’s drawings about Inuit life and the Korean War. Eddy was “a man in pursuit of his dreams” (Martin xxiii), but as an Eskimo, was not permitted by the Canadian government to travel out of the Arctic.  Eddy adopted a false identity (Eddy Vital) to free himself from institutional racism and to travel south.  The book is divided into narrative arrangements that are chronological, such as “Weetaltuk, or the Times of Innocence,” which tells of Eddy’s early years in the Arctic with his parents and collective hunting groups. “At the Boarding School” tells of his relationship with the Catholic residential school and its influential priests.  The largest sections are devoted to Eddy’s war experiences and his return to the north. Eddy emerged from the Arctic in the company of white friends, which he acknowledges was a factor in his safe transition: “That day, the constable who was doing the checking on Northerners did not ask for my ID because I was travelling in good company of young white guys” (50).   Eddy contemplated joining the army, but felt that he wouldn’t be accepted.  A friend remarked on his education level:   —Eddy, up to what grade did you go in school?  When I told him I completed grade eight, he was totally amazed:  —Grade eight.  So, you can write! Brian did not really know my story and was not aware of the good education I had received from the Oblates at Fort George.  He was suddenly very curious: —And how many languages do you speak? I said four, and Brian continued: 1Hansen: From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy WeetaltukPublished by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017—You know, Eddy, with that education of yours, you could get into the army any time you want. —That’s ridiculous.  They would not take me because they don’t accept Eskimos.  You know that. —You don’t have to tell them you’re an Eskimo. Just tell them you are mixed-blood.  With your new name everybody believes you. (56-57)  Thus began Eddy’s new life in the Army, and his ability to traverse the white man’s world.  Eddy writes consistently that he received not only a good education from the Oblates, but also support for his future.  This background, coupled with his life in the north, was to provide him with ample preparation for the army.  He recalls injustice, comparing the Inuit with the soldier:   I was very uneasy to realize that we were here to protect and serve but that some of us were doing things because they were in a foreign country and could get away with what they would not even think of doing in their own country.  That’s when I remembered my dad who had been sent to prison for plucking a raven and I thought there was no justice in this world. (67)  When meeting a Mamasan (Madam) in Korea, Eddy was offered an eight-year-old girl:  I was so shocked I ran away.  Now that I recall that episode, I feel so sorry for her.  War is a disgrace, a shame.  God must be so sad to see his poor little children abused like that. (101)  Eddy’s reconnaissance ability was exemplary; noted in this exchange with his captain:  —Well, Vital.  Tell me what you saw? —While marching I saw leaves moving over there.  I found it suspicious because there is no wind today.  I pointed at the bushes and said: Look! It is here.  I bet there is something hiding in the bushes. (71)    Eddy drew on his Inuit knowledge to help his comrades:  The smallest thing demanded so much of their energy; they even had a lot of trouble tying on their snowshoes.  That’s why, although my technique was not in the Army manual, I showed them, with the instructor’s permission, the Inuit way to slip on snowshoes without having to tie them in the cold. (129)  Eddy Weetaltuk’s memoirs are essential reading for the dissemination of Indigenous narratives.  Thibeault Martin asserts:   Eddy Weetaltuk wanted to send a message to Inuit youth while at the same time exorcising his past and, above all—and this might surprise the reader—he wanted to write a bestseller.  It was not only because he was expecting remuneration, but because he wanted as many people as possible to read the story of an Inuk, written by an Inuk.  In this way, he wanted to say to the entire world 2The Goose, Vol. 16, No. 1 [2017], Art. 16https://scholars.wlu.ca/thegoose/vol16/iss1/16that a “man of the North,” an Aboriginal person, could find as brilliant a destiny as any other Canadian. (XIII)    The framing narratives by Martin and St-Amand are intriguing as back story to Eddy’s core memoir.  These academic narratives provide and actualize ally work, but they also utilize and participate in colonial hegemony.  I question whether Eddy Weetaltuk’s memoirs would have been published if not championed by powerful and insightful white voices.  These champions predate Martin and St-Amand as Eddy sought to see his memoirs published.  Can we ever truly perceive Indigenous literature as literary canon without the explanatory framework of colonial ideology?   Even so, Martin and St-Amand have done a commendable job of working through this conundrum.  Eddy Weetaltuk’s memoir of identity intersectionality succeeds in challenging official colonial narratives.  His life’s work defies systemic racist erasure of Indigenous writing.  The memoir thus contributes to the understanding of Indigenous history marginalized within colonialism.  Moreover, such a memoir contributes to the ultimate goal of reconciliation with Indigenous people — a uniquely Canadian mandate.  VIVIAN HANSEN is a Calgary poet.  Her book, A Tincture of Sunlight (Frontenac House), recalls the Canadian Indigenous and Métis soldiers of the South Alberta Regiment in the second world war. 3Hansen: From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy WeetaltukPublished by / Publié par Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017

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From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk

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